The catalyst for the events in The Godfather is an important wedding, where viewers meet many core characters, including the antagonistic Don Barzini (Richard Conte). The Godfather still holds up today as one of the best movies of all time, partly due to its characters and their various tense allegiances. Many of the relationships in the Godfather trilogy are different from how they appear, with characters being required to show respect, even to their enemies. This is especially apparent in the first movie when Don Barzini attends the wedding hosted by The Godfather‘s powerful Corleone family.
Of all the Godfather trilogy’s Five Families of New York, the Corleone family is at the top in the business. Their fight to keep their position as the most powerful and prosperous crime family in New York drives the events in the first movie. At the beginning of this movie, the Corleones are in a strong position, with Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando) being the Don of the family. Vito is one of the best Dons in The Godfather, with his business sense and traditional mindset informing his decisions, including inviting Don Barzini to Connie Corleone’s (Talia Shire) wedding.
Don Barzini’s Attendance At The Corleone Family Wedding Was A Mark Of Respect
Don Barzini Likely Used The Wedding To His Advantage
When Don Vito Corleone invited Don Emilio Barzini to Connie’s wedding, it was not a sign of friendship but of respect, so despite the bitter history between the two families, Barzini was treated like an honored guest. His decision to attend the wedding was, similarly, a sign that he respected Don Corleone. With tradition being so important to Vito, it would have been unthinkable for him not to invite the other crime bosses to the event. Vito Corleone made many mistakes in The Godfather, but inviting Barzini to the wedding was not one of them.
Barzini resents the Corleone family for winning the Olive Oil War and is already planning retaliation.
Barzini is one of the main villains in The Godfather and as smart a businessman as Vito. While he is intelligent enough to show respect at the wedding, he likely used the event to further his goals. Barzini resents the Corleone family for winning the Olive Oil War and is already planning retaliation. Don Barzini spends most of The Godfather as a figure observing from the shadows and, as many people would have their guard down at the wedding, this would have given Barzini a chance to note the Corleone family’s dynamics.
The Godfather’s Five Families Maintain A Facade Of Friendliness (Despite Working Against Each Other)
The Godfather Ends With Michael Corleone Using Another Family Event To Get Revenge
While The Godfather becomes bloody and violent after the attempt on Vito Corleone’s life, the Five Families keep up the appearance of civility. This unwritten rule of keeping the peace allows Barzini to work against the Corleones in secret. With such a complex web of allegiances at the heart of The Godfather‘s Mafia families, if one family falls out with another, there are repercussions for everyone. When the mobsters betray Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) in The Godfather, this tradition of politeness allows him to get revenge in one of the most brutal scenes in the trilogy.
Even after several ᴀssᴀssinations and attempted murders, the Five Families of New York still need to maintain appearances and continue to invite each other to events. Barzini uses Connie’s wedding to learn about the Corleone family, but Michael uses the tradition for a far more significant reason. Inviting the heads of the other families to his nephew’s baptism looks like respect, but the shocking ending of The Godfather shows him ᴀssᴀssinating them all. The Godfather shows how tradition can be exploited, with the heads of the families attending the baptism, without knowing that they are going to their deaths.
